Cost-Effectiveness of the Tailored Activity Programme for Person With Dementia-Caregiver Dyads: A Markov Model

The Tailored Activity Programme (TAP) is a home-based programme with compelling outcomes for reducing behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia and functional decline. We conducted a cost-utility analysis of TAP compared to usual care, for the person with dementia and their caregiver.

We developed a Markov Model, from the healthcare sector perspective. Using parameters from the dementia care literature. Base-case and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were applied to handle uncertainty.

Given the growing need for cost-effective dementia care, understanding the cost-effectiveness of TAP is crucial for health service design and its implementation into healthcare settings. Our study shows that TAP is cost-effective for both males and females with dementia and their caregivers. The most favourable cost-effectiveness acceptability curves were found in men and women with dementia, aged 50 to 70, with lower costs and higher QALYs compared to those over 80. The probability of TAP being cost-effective rises with public higher willingness-to-pay thresholds, especially for people with dementia in the age group of 50-70.

These findings indicate TAP is highly cost-effective for individuals living with dementia compared to usual home care, which provides evidence for policy makers towards their decisions on resource allocation and for implementing TAP in Australia.